THE TIES THAT BIND
by dragonmage4
Summary: It's Draco & Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. A new student comes into the picture with a strange tie to both of them. WHo is she? And why does she cause such a fuss with the professors?
1. The Beginning of the Adventure

THE TIES THAT BIND

By Dragonmage

Rating: R (eventually)

Characters featured: Mostly an original character and Draco. Although Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville are key players.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowlings owns Harry Potter and all things tied up therein. Me? I'm borrowing her world and people and having a wee bit of fun with them. No profit bein' made, so don't sue me... I ain't got anything worth takin' anyway. That said...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The red steam engine that was the Hogwarts Express sat huffing and puffing along side Platform 9 & 3/4 on a sunny September morning at King's Cross Station in London. A reasonably controlled, if loud, group of students (with a few adults mixed in) stood around watching their baggage being loaded onto the train while chatting with their fellow classmates about their various adventures and mishaps over the summer break from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. One rather orderly group of teens stood slightly apart from the throng: except for two boys quietly haggling over a trade of Famous Witches and Wizards cards, the others were listening to a bushy brown-haired girl relating one of her adventures.

"Then Mum got her dress caught in the lift doors and if Dad hadn't have-" a soft tap on Hermione's shoulder stopped her mid-sentence.

"Sorry, um... I'm new here and... could you tell me if this is the Hogwarts Express?" The group, en masse, turned to eye the stranger. A raven-haired girl with emerald green eyes stood behind them holding onto a cart full of baggage looking for all the world like she would have preferred to be anywhere but there at that moment.

"Yes, it _is_ the Hogwarts Express. I'm Hermione Granger... and _you are_?" Hermione asked with that annoying edge to her voice that she only adopted when she felt she was addressing a complete idiot. The girl looked both relieved and startled by Hermione's reply.

"Er... Conners... Lillith Christine Conners. I tend to go by Chrissy. It's nice to meet you... Her-my-o-knee? Hermione, got it. Sorry, first time hearing that name," the girl blushed as she continued talking. "I'm a transfer... in from the States... Eaglewing, actually..." she gave a nervous laugh.

Hermione eyed the new girl for a moment, sizing her up. 'American. Reasonably attractive... I suppose... seems friendly enough.' Before she could say a word, Harry Potter, a dark-haired boy with glasses, pocketed his Wizard cards and offered the new girl his hand. "I'm Harry, welcome to Hogwarts. This is Ron, Ron Weasley." A tall boy with copper hair and freckles standing next to him waved sheepishly. As Chrissy shook Harry's hand a tingle both hot and cold at the same time raced through a lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. Thankfully, it passed so quickly he barely had time to wince. 'Strange,' he thought as he continued the introductions.

"That's Ginny, Ron's little sister. She's a Fourth Year". Harry said nodding to a red-haired girl standing next to Hermione. "Hermione introduced herself, but don't fret; she's usually much friendlier. And this is Neville Longbottom." He motioned to a round-faced boy standing between Ron and Ginny. Ginny was grinning at her older brother who was still waving awkwardly at Chrissy, a stupid look on his face. Neville smiled shyly and murmured a greeting that was mostly lost in the background noise of the other students on the platform.

"Pleased to meet you all. I'm heading into my fifth year. Who's a Fifth Year?" Everyone's hands went up save Ginny's, who began visibly pouting. Chrissy stepped over to her and gave her a friendly hug, "It's alright, Ginny. I had lots of friends in different years than I was."

"All aboard! All aboard! Train'll be leavin' soon!" The conductor shouted as the whistle blew. He began making his rounds, ushering the reluctant youths onto the train.

"Well, come on," Ginny said excitedly dragging Chrissy towards the train. "We'll help you with your things and you can tell us all about yourself onboard. You'll love Hogwarts. I hope you get into Gryffindor, be a shame if you went into another house after making friends with us. Gryffindor is the best house at all of Hogwarts!." Chrissy laughed as young Miss Weasley led her into a car. The rest of the group followed, smiling.

"Psst...Harry. I think she likes me," Ron said in a hushed voice as they hefted Chrissy's trunk onto the train, Harry grinned at his best friend while Hermione grimaced and muttered something about castrating Ron for the good of the Wizarding World as she elbowed past.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I can't believe she's standing there talking to Potter and his little group of Muggle-lovers!" Draco announced incredulously as he slammed into the car with his cronies Crabb and Goyle on is heels, each looking equally uncomfortable, stupid and dangerous - their natural state. Frowning at him from one of the seats sat Pansy Parkinson, a fellow Slytherin House student, along with a few of her girlfriends. She obviously didn't appreciate Draco's interest in the new mystery girl. Draco growled and strode past, hearing Pansy say "As if I should care, but really... an American of all things. I heard her horrid accent earlier...' The sound of her friends rushing to agree with her was a quickly fading buzz as he continued to the far end of the car. Settling down on one of the plush cushioned seats, Draco went over his brief meeting with the girl trying to understand why she was still on his mind.

He'd been walking, servant in tow, towards the stone barrier entrance to Platform nine & 3/4 at the Muggle train station. As usual, it was bustling with the pathetic creatures going about their meaningless lives. A dark-haired girl stood blocking his path, holding onto a cart heavily-laden with a trunk, chests and a draped cage of some sort. Looking about wide-eyed, she held onto the cart as if it contained her only earthly possessions. Normally, he would have snarled and shoved such a person aside, but she turned around and caught him with a pair of emerald green eyes - a shade too dark to be anything but stunning. They sparkled briefly as she offered him a smile. 'Well, of course she smiled.' he thought.' I'm bloody gorgeous.'

"Pardon? Are you trying to get past?" The girl asked. "I... I can move. But I'm a bit lost, you see," she said tugging the cart a bit closer.

"Really? How surprising. I'm busy, can't help. Sorry," he sneered and started to move past her. But those eyes held him, looking shocked... a little hurt... and a _lot_ lost. He sighed, "Alright, alright. Where exactly are you trying to go, miss?"

"Um... sounds silly, I know... but... Platform 9 & 3/4?" She quickly rushed on. "You see, that's where my parents told me to go before they were off, they couldn't stay to help me .. um, ..find my train. Afraid I might have misheard. I can see platforms nine and ten, but..." she looked around perplexed..

Draco chuckled to himself, 'new bird at Hogwarts. This holds promise.' He cleared his throat before speaking. "I see. Well, I just happen to be headed there myself... Miss?"

"Oh, sorry. Conners, Lillith Christine Conners. Um... you're really going there? To the... um... Express?"

'Adorable, in a peasant sort of way. Hinting at it rather than risk blurting out about the Hogwarts Express to a Muggle. Muggle? Wait one minute! She thinks I'm a Muggle!' His eyes narrowed for a second. "If you mean the _Hogwarts Express_, then yes. Any other sort. No! " He snapped indignantly.

She blinked at Draco for a moment and then spoke carefully. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... offend. I didn't think you were a... not really... I was just being careful. Please, could I follow you to the train? I'm... really sorry we got off on the wrong foot. Um..." She glanced around the bustling station and then back at him. "I'd really like to go into my new school with a friend or two. Could I... maybe... um... buy you a drink or something once we're on the train? You know... chat... make nice?"

'Make nice? By Merlin's beard, she's an innocent little thing. All the more fun to educate,' he thought smiling lecherously. "Of course, I can understand. New school, strange Muggle station... clearly you were just... confused. This way, Miss Conners."

"Chrissy, my friends call me Chrissy," she offered pushing her cart after his retreating form.

"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," he replied in a distracted tone. The entrance was a few feet ahead when he stopped.

"Draco? That means dragon, right? Cool... I mean, interesting. Malfoy? Does that mean anything?"

"_'Bad faith'_ in French."

"Weird." She said, looking embarrassed.

"Yes, it is." He smiled at her. " So... ready?"

"Um... yes." She glanced around, curiosity plainly written across her exotic features. Draco nodded at his servant who strode right through the stone barrier dividing platforms nine and ten, much to Chrissy's shocked expression

"You next." Draco purred and motioned graciously for her to go first. She hesitated, eyeing the barrier suspiciously. Draco slipped behind her as she stared at the wall, enjoying the little jump and squeak his proximity garnered, and gripped the cart around her, his hands resting nonchalantly over hers. "I see, bit scared, eh? I think I can help."

He pushed the cart a tiny bit, just enough to make her step forward and then quickly built up speed and hurried them through the entrance.

"See? Not that scary, was it? Chrissy? I do hope you are placed in Slytherin House. I'm sure you'd be... an excellent... addition to the house. Ta." Chrissy shifted uncomfortably as Draco hovered for a moment before drifting away.

Draco strolled towards the train to supervise the servant already loading his baggage, hoping the lovely girl would linger.

She didn't.

When he glanced back a few minutes later, the little twit had already been surrounded by Harry Potter's bunch of mongrels and being herded onto the train. Malfoy's sneer reached epic proportions and his chain of thoughts shifted from the pleasures of 'educating' sweet Chrissy to murdering his arch-enemy Potter.

So here he was, sitting on the train with his usual company while a charming little treat was being fawned over by Harry and his motley gaggle of hanger-ons. He smashed a fist into the cushioned seat and glared out the window while Crabb and Goyle waited impatiently for the sweets trolley to roll by.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So... I was standing there lost and close to tears when this boy just walks up and shows me how to get in. I was sure I'd miss the train, but here I am. All safe and sound," Chrissy chuckled and flipped her hair out of her face. A few strands kept sinking down the side of her face blocking her view. "I _really_ have to get a haircut, soon..."

"I don't know. I think your hair looks fine," Ginny said reaching out pushing the wayward strands back into place.

"Then you can have it," Chrissy sighed as her hair fell right in her eyes again. "Damn." The teens around her started snickering as she started digging through her bag. "Brush, brush. Damn, my kingdom for a br- Oh! Here is it. I owe myself one kingdom," she chuckled and pulled her hairbrush out to try and fix her hair. "Here give me that," Ginny said as she grabbed the brush from her hand and began to brush and braid Chrissy's hair.

Neville was staring at Chrissy, clearly wanting to talk but not seeming to have the courage to open his mouth. Harry was about to elbow him when Chrissy turned and simply started talking to him. "So... Neville? What advice do you have for the new girl?"

"Er..." he blushed, "never be late to Potions class. Never get cheeky with Professor Snape. Try not to even breathe too loudly around him or he'll deduct points from your house. Um... Food's good. Harry's the best Seeker in the whole school. And... never willingly work with Seamus Finnegan. He's not very good. Not that I can talk, I'm just as bad."

"Ha! You probably worry too much." Chrissy chided. "If I'm in your class, I'll be your partner, Neville." Chrissy smiled at him and the whole group watched Neville turn beet red and nearly faint.

"I... I'll botch it for sure!" Neville moaned.

"Nope. You wouldn't want to bring down my grades, would you?" Chrissy patted his hand reassuringly. "We'll make a great team, Neville."

Harry and Ron exchanged doubtful glances while Hermione chuckled and continued to read a thick book spread across her lap. Ginny paid no attention to the conversation and continued to happily braid her new friend's hair.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Review, please. Flames will be ignored... or used to toast marshmallows and warm Malfoy's heart... if I can find it, that is.

~DragonMage


	2. Settling In

THE TIES THAT BIND

CHAPTER TWO

By Dragonmage

Rating: R (eventually)

Characters featured: Mostly an original character and Draco. Although Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville are key players.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowlings owns Harry Potter and all things tied up therein. Me? I'm borrowing her world and people and having a wee bit of fun with them. No profit bein' made, so don't sue me... I ain't got anything worth takin' anyway. That said...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Now, pay attention first years, we will be sorting a transfer student from the States before we sort all of you." Professor McGonagall, an older witch in green robes, explained as she led the group of students out of a small chamber towards the Castle's Great Hall. "You'll have a better idea of what to expect this way."

Minutes later, a dirty, patched and frayed wizard's hat, sitting atop a four-legged stool that had been placed in the front of the Great Hall, finished singing it's Sorting Song to the applause of the teaching staff and the hundreds of students seated around the cavernous room. Professor McGonagall, who had been waiting with the line of students, stepped forward holding a roll of parchment saying "when I call your name, you will step forward, place the hat on your head and sit on the stool to be sorted." "Conners, Lillith." She began.

Chrissy walked up to the stool, placed the hat on her head, which immediately fell over her eyes, and sat down on the stool.

Silence filled the Great Hall for several minutes.

Chrissy, however, was listening enraptured as the hat rattled off the good and bad points of placing her in this house or that house. It changed houses so often that she was beginning to fret that she wasn't special enough to merit any one of them.

Sitting at the Gryffindor table, Harry turned to Hermione and Ron, who were staring, confused looks on their faces, as the seconds rolled by, "Did it take this long with me?" Harry whispered. Twin nods answered him as they all continued to stare. Chrissy looked like she was ready to start crying. McGonagall was patiently smiling at the first years. Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts Headmaster, was leaning forward slightly in his high-backed chair, hands steepled in front of him, a look of curiosity and concern hinted at in his features. While Severus Snape, the Potion's Master, looked ready to rip that hat off her head and chase her out of the castle.

In Chrissy's head, she could hear the hat winding down. 'So I suppose... for all your strengths and weaknesses... greatness... and frailties... courage and fear... and... Oh! That's a wee little secret I'll keep to myself... for now. But you don't know why... and that's why you'll go into...' "GRYFFINDOR!" the sorting hat roared loudly, its voice filling the Great Hall.

A shriek of joy came from Ginny as the whole of the Gryffindor table applauded and cheered their newest Fifth Year. Professor McGonagall removed the hat from Chrissy's head, her soft motherly voice whispering, "welcome to my house, my dear girl," before Chrissy dashed away.

At the Slytherin table, Malfoy banged his fist onto the tabletop and hissed, "of course, she's a Gryffindor. Of course, bloody hell!" Pansy glared at him for a second before returning her attention to the dark haired girl skipping over to the Gryffindor table.

"Welcome to Gryffindor!" Harry, Ron and Hermione tripped over each other saying. Ginny was still too busy clapping to say much of anything. Chrissy sat down, blushing at all the attention. The Sorting Ceremony went quickly after that. Only one student caused any kind of a delay and that was a plump young boy named Sebastian Smithe, who tripped as he was going up the stairs to the stool. Mr. Smithe was immediately sorted into Hufflepuff a few seconds later, red cheeks and all.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The feast was a rousing success, the house ghosts making themselves known in their usual pomp and circumstance. Sir Nick, making his entrance by popping up through a half-eaten turkey resting on a serving tray near Chrissy's seat, caused her to jump and spill her goblet of fruit juice all over her skirt. After a good bit of patting the skirt dry, she seemed okay... if frazzled by the experience.

"Eaglewing is still too new a castle to have attracted any ghosts," she said to Hermione, who was carefully dissecting her chicken leg with a fork and knife. "Um... that's finger food, you know."

"Only if you want to be coated in grease." Hermione explained disdainfully.

"You mean like everyone else?" Chrissy smiled.

"Exactly."

Chrissy shrugged at Hermione's reply and picked up a piece of chicken with her fingers and started eating. Hermione's tsk of disapproval garnered muffled chuckles from Ron and Harry. Both of whom were steadily stuffing food into their faces like starving men. The Start of Term banquet ended a little while later with everyone dashing off to his or her House Common Room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"And this is the Girls' Dormitory, Chrissy." Hermione said as they reached the top of the spiral staircase. "Your things are already put away for you. The common room is generally a noisy place, best place to study is usually the library. I spend a lot of time there," Hermione explained as she strolled into the room with Chrissy and Ginny on her heels. The new girl was looking at everything with wide eyes. Hermione chuckled. "Does take a bit of getting used to, doesn't it? The moving stairs, the talking portraits. Just wait until you meet Hagrid, he's a good friend of ours. Loves all animals... and I do mean _all_ animals. Just never eat any candy he offers... tends to be a bit... sticky... if you understand."

"Once had my whole mouth glued shut by a piece of fudge," Ginny added helpfully. Chrissy nodded and wandered over to the covered cage near what she assumed was her bed. The girls followed, eager to see what sort of creature was hidden within.

"Owls have their own area," Hermione offered.

"Not an owl. Not my AmenTut," Chrissy chuckled and lifted the cover carefully. Asleep on the bottom of the cage, in a nest of sand and small rocks lay a snake. Ginny yelped and leapt away while Hermione took a step closer to examine the serpent.

"What sort of snake is AmenTut?"

"Oh, a winged serpent. I found his egg while my parents and I were in Egypt over the summer break. It hatched before we could get it to anyone better trained to deal with the rarer beasties... and well, he sort of adopted me as his mom. I couldn't just leave him. I spent two weeks learning how to take care of him from some cute guy in the Egyptian Ministry of Magic and then had to wait another two just to get permission to bring him into England." She unlatched the cage door and reached in to scratch the snake's head gently. "How's Mommy's little baby? Did you sleep the whole trip? Come on out, Tut. Stretch a bit." She lifted the serpent from the cage carefully; it coiled around her wrist peacefully.

Hermione took a step back as Chrissy cooed and fretted over her familiar. The snake was black, but it had a silvery sheen to its scales that reminded Hermione of hematite. Then it spread its wings. The wing span was barely two feet total, but it made the snake seem much bigger than it should have. Hermione was trying to puzzle out which breed of serpent it was. 'Feathers?'

"Ginny?" Chrissy queried looking around for her new friend. "Tut won't bite, promise. He's a good boy. Hasn't bitten anyone, not even the specialist I had to take him to."

"I'm fine over here, thank you." Ginny answered from across the room, peeking out from behind the heavy drapes surrounding her bed. " I'm... not fond of snakes."

"Oh, sorry," Chrissy kissed Tut's head and started to tuck him back into the cage. "Sorry, Tut. You'd best stay in here until everyone gets used to you."

"Actually, Harry might like to meet Tut," Hermione offered. Chrissy shrugged and walked out of the dormitory as the snake began slithering up her arm to his usual spot around her neck. The snake settled in as the girls reached the bottom of the stairs. At the sight of the snake, no less than a dozen screams followed as pandemonium broke out in the crowded Common Room. Chrissy screamed as well when Tut, startled by the commotion, dove into her robe.

"T-tut! Get out of th-there!" Chrissy giggled. "That tickles! Stupid snake! Those feathers tick-tickle!" She scolded while fishing within her robes frantically trying to grab Tut's tail. Harry was watching equally horrified and amused. Then he noticed that everyone had stopped scrambling for cover and was staring at Chrissy in shock.

"Um... Tut? Out of there. You're embarrassing her," Harry said. Well, he thought he said. In reality, he was hissing to Tut in Parselmouth, which apparently worked because the snake froze and Harry heard a voice from Chrissy's direction

"What? Who are you?" the silky voice asked from within the folds of her robe. Chrissy managed to wriggle out of her robe at that instant and it fell to the floor with a soft thud. A loud and clear 'ouch' came from under the robe and Tut slithered out, looking as sheepish as a serpent could. Harry rescued the snake before Ron could bash it with a poker he had grabbed from the fireplace.

"Here, here. He's sorry. He was frightened, that's all," Harry offered in Tut's defense. Chrissy reclaimed her snake-free robe and put it back on before walking over.

"Ron! Put that down. You hurt Tut and I'll never speak to you again," Chrissy hissed and took her familiar back from Harry. "Thanks. Didn't know you were a Parselmouth too. I might as well not be." Chrissy sighed. "Scale-head tends to ignore me no matter what language I'm speaking." Though her words were a bit harsh, Harry could see the gentle scratching and looking-over that Chrissy gave the serpent. Clearly, she did care a great deal about her pet.

"Bloody Hell! That... thing almost killed you!" Ron yelled still brandishing the fire poker like a sword.

"No, he didn't." Harry said calmly. "He was just spooked by all the sudden movement. Everyone started jumping around and such. Really, Ron, like you've never saw a snake before."

"Snake, yes. Winged snake, no. Winged snake around a student's neck, definitely not!" Ron exclaimed and then paused. "He is sort of cool in a snake-ish sort of way, isn't he?" Chrissy rolled her eyes while Harry chuckled at his friend's choice of words. "And... you're a Parselmouth too!" Ron said, gaping at Chrissy. "I thought that was a rare talent, but now we've two Gryffindors that can talk to snakes. Right strange if you ask me."

"I didn't," Chrissy huffed and stormed back up the stairs to the Girls Dormitory.

"What did I say?" Ron asked. Harry and Hermione shrugged and then winced at the loud slam that echoed down from the top of the stairs.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Chapter Three will be up shortly. Sorry for the delay. Reviews appreciated, as always. Flames will be used to roast marshmallows, warm up Malfoy's heart and then be tossed away like so much trash.)

~DragonMage


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